TV presenter and disability campaigner Sophie Morgan has been announced as part of the presenting line-up for Crufts.
The event, the largest international dog show in the world, is held annually in Birmingham at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC).
The show is returning from a year-long hiatus on Channel 4 after it was cancelled in 2021 due to Covid-19, the first year since 1954 that the event did not take place.
Morgan, 37, who joins Crufts 2022 presenters Clare Balding and Radzi Chinyanganya, sustained a T6 spinal cord injury in a road traffic accident in 2003, resulting in paralysis from the chest down.
She most recently joined ITV’s Loose Women as a guest-panellist and has previously presented the London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Veterinary expert Paul Manktelow will also be returning, along with Britain’s Got Talent winner and dog trainer Ashleigh Butler.
Morgan said: “I absolutely love dogs. Having grown up with a house full of dogs and my mum being a dog trainer. My best friend was a yellow Labrador until I was about 13 years old.
“Even as we got older, when my mum stopped training, we had dogs in the house, (Westies and Labradors primarily) and still to this day we have dogs in the family.”
The event will be broadcast across Channel 4 platforms, including Channel 4, More4 and All4 and will see some 20,000 dogs participate as Crufts marks its 131st year.
Crufts is organised and hosted by The Kennel Club, the largest organisation in the UK devoted to dog health, welfare and training.
Crufts 2022 is returning to Channel 4 & More4 with more coverage than ever before! Tune in to watch all of the action from 10 – 13 March.
Find out more at https://t.co/xQrGAiJnRY pic.twitter.com/qu7VKHHoVy
— Crufts (@Crufts) February 25, 2022
The show was broadcast on the BBC up until 2009 when the broadcaster was unable to agree terms with The Kennel Club, after which it moved to Channel 4.
Antonia Howard-Taylor, commissioning executive, said: “With 33% of people in the UK owning a dog, we are proud to be broadcasting the return of a historic event that truly celebrates the nation’s love of dogs.
“It is also great to be able to welcome Sophie to the line-up this year. Alongside Clare and Radzi, Sophie is a perfect fit for Crufts, as someone who truly understands the incredible role dogs can play in our lives.”
Crufts takes place at the NEC in Birmingham between March 10 and 13. Coverage will be broadcast on Channel 4 and More4 and will be available on demand on All4.